The present subject matter relates to delivery of advertisements to a cellular device over a cellular telecommunications network. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system for delivering advertisements to a device prior to connecting a voice service call and without the use of specialized equipment or auxiliary devices to facilitate the delivery. Such a system may be implemented to reduce the overall cost of service for users of cellular telecommunication devices.
Traditionally, the cost for cellular telecommunication service has been high, especially in the United States, placing such service out of the reach of many people. The high cost still remains if not increased by the cost to obtain new devices compatible with a provider's technology and system, which is not always the same as other providers' systems. Additionally, over the past few years, cellular telecommunications providers have experienced a decline in the average rate per user (ARPU) for voice service over cellular telecommunications networks. The decline can be attributed to the increase in use of data service (i.e., Short Messaging System (SMS) and Multimedia Messaging System (MMS)) over the same network.
Service providers have attempted to alleviate these problems seeking ways to reduce the cost for voice service to attract more customers and increase revenue. For many years, providers have offered devices at little or no cost with the requirement to sign a long-term contract, which for many people translates to an additional or higher cost for service given the early termination fee and length of financial commitment. Moreover, providers have offered more affordable service but the reduction in cost has been incremental and has extended to those customers who are willing to commit to higher monthly plans, requiring higher usage of the service. This provides a lower unit cost based on usage however the aggregate cost of plan still makes the service unaffordable and undesirable to those who are unable to reach a high usage rate that would make the financial commitment worthwhile. Providers have offered a special bundle services combining both voice and data to attract customers to larger voice plans based on the cost for favorable data service. Again, these solutions only attract certain customers and do not reduce the cost for all customers.
Recently, the development of prepaid cellular services and plans has attracted more customers, providing them with an option to receive cellular service at a lower rate as needed and without special features. With this solution, providers have achieved higher levels of usage rate in some demographical groups, but not all. However, many customers forgo cellular service for non-cellular telecommunication service, which is predominant and very affordable.
Providers have also turned to advertising on cellular devices to increase revenue and gain more customers. The more common advertising systems have been implemented through SMS and mobile internet/Wireless Access Protocol (WAP), where advertisements are distributed through videos, text messages, search and banner displays. Systems have also been implemented where advertising is tied to the voice service on a cellular network however these implementations require the use of special equipment or auxiliary devices for delivery. Although the advertisement generates additional revenue and provides a voice message directly to the customer, these previous attempts suffer because the overall cost to the customer is often not reduced due to the need for special equipment or devices. Thus, prior solutions have fallen short.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system that enables the delivery of advertisements to the user of a cellular device without the need for a specialized cellular device or other specialized equipment.